New Tours and Educational Programs at the Crow Canyon Connection!

The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center is excited to offer a variety of new tours and educational programs out of the Crow Canyon Connection store located inside the Colorado Welcome Center in downtown Cortez.

These tours and programs are designed to help visitors of all ages enhance and expand upon a visit to Mesa Verde National Park, and to give local residents in southwest Colorado a better understanding of the incredible ancient history to be found here in their own backyards.

The guided two- and four-hour tours are based out of the Crow Canyon Connection. Transportation during the tours is provided.

Immerse yourself in the archaeological landscape beyond Mesa Verde National Park. Discover how the Chaco Phenomenon (A.D. 950 – 1150) transformed the region with monumental buildings, extensive trade networks, and exotic artifacts. We begin our journey at the Colorado Welcome Center with an introduction to current day Montezuma County before traveling to the Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum. Your guide will provide a specialized tour of the exhibits. A short walk (1.3-miles round trip) takes you to Escalante Pueblo, a 12th-century Chaco outlier. From the hilltop, enjoy a spectacular 360-view of the high desert and learn about the ancient environment from Mesa Verde to the Bears Ears. Continue your exploration of the Chaco Phenomenon with a visit to Crow Canyon’s active archaeological dig, where archaeologists and citizen scientists are excavating two Chaco great houses. Meet the archaeologists and walk away with a deeper understanding of the area’s rich history. Conclude the tour with an overview of Crow Canyon’s current research and education initiatives. Learn how archaeology and American Indian knowledge is shaping our knowledge of past and present communities.

The perfect introduction to your Mesa Verde experience! Learn about the impact of the Chaco Phenomenon (A.D. 950 – 1150), and discover one of the densest concentrations of Chaco great houses in the Mesa Verde region by experiencing a working archaeological dig site and chatting with the archaeologists overseeing this excavation. Your tour begins with a quick introduction at the Colorado Welcome Center and an overview of current day Montezuma County. Your guide will then take you on a journey through time beginning 12,000 years ago and leading up to the Pueblo II period (A.D. 950 – 1150). Get caught up in the thrill of discovery on an exclusive tour Crow Canyon’s current dig site—the Northern Chaco Outliers Project. Here you will learn how archaeology and American Indian knowledge is shaping our knowledge of past and present communities.

In addition to the tours, Crow Canyon is pleased to announce a pair of free weekly educational programs at the Crow Canyon Connection:

"Ask an Archaeologist" — Bring your curiosity and questions about the region's incredible archaeological history for Crow Canyon's archaeologists every Wednesday afternoon from 3-4pm.

"Pueblo Perspectives" — Join Crow Canyon Cultural Specialist and Zuni Tribal member Dan Simplicio for an engaging conversation about the region's archaeology and Pueblo culture every Thursday afternoon from 3-5pm.

These programs are free and open to the public.

The Crow Canyon Connection also offers unique local gifts and souvenirs, snacks, and information about Crow Canyon tours as well as information about Crow Canyon's array of archaeological, educational, and travel programs. The Crow Canyon Connection is located in the Colorado Welcome Center at 928 E. Main Street in Cortez. Hours of operation for Crow Canyon Connection and the Colorado Welcome Center are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year. The facility is closed on major holidays.

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Our Mission

The mission of the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center is to empower present and future generations by making the human past accessible and relevant through archaeological research, experiential education, and American Indian knowledge.